Alternative Thanksgiving meals and dishes for Houston foodies

In a city built on diverse cuisine and bold new restaurants, why should we settle for the same old Thanksgiving meals?

In the coming days, Houstonians will rush to bake, defrost, season and oven-roast their feasts. Results? The same regular meals we’ve been eating for decades. Fortunately for us, many Houston restaurants offer alternatives to the turkey-laden feast. With options like completely vegetarian dishes and Malaysian-inspired beef Wellington, the possibilities and variety seem endless.

Recently named to the Houston Chronicle’s 100 Best Restaurants list and known for its Houston Restaurant Week specials, Phat Eatery is having a great year. The Malaysian restaurant has been churning out excellent food in Katy’s Asian neighborhood since 2018 and has been going strong ever since. In honor of Thanksgiving, Phat Eatery is preparing two holiday specials available for dine-in. Phat Eatery’s standard Thanksgiving entree features a honey-glazed turkey, served alongside gravy, ginger-cranberry sauce, whipped potatoes, and a deluxe lobster bisque — all for $35. In addition, the restaurant serves Wagyu Beef Rendang Wellington. Beef rendang is a coconut milk-based marinated beef curry that is very popular in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia. At Phat Eatery, chef Alex Au-Yeung stuffs beef rendang into puff pastry, creating a delicious twist on a British classic. Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, the restaurant welcomes Houstonians to give a new classic a twist.

Housed in the former Noodle House Korean restaurant in Long Point, this newcomer offers all-you-can-eat Korean-style hot pot for the holiday. With a week of winter weather just around the corner, hot pot is the perfect Thanksgiving meal. Hot pot, also known as shabu shabu, is like fondue without the cheese. An individual pot of broth is placed in front of you and heated to a boil. Raw meats and vegetables are added to the pot to cook at your pace and then dipped in a DIY sauce, resulting in a long, DIY meal full of socializing and quality time. At Kim Shabu, a long buffet line filled with vegetables, tteok (also known as rice cakes), seafood, dumplings and fresh noodles of your choice is served to the hot pot. A variety of meats, including beef, pork and chicken, can be ordered at no additional cost and delivered to your table. Broth-wise, the restaurant offers seven flavors of soup, plus optional chili paste and mala sauce for those who want a little heat. Kim Shabu will be open from 11am to 10pm on Thanksgiving Day, serving AYCE hot pot for $31.99 per person.

As one of the few vegan restaurants in Houston, Pythagoras serves an all-vegan Thanksgiving meal. Dubbed a “living Thanksgiving dish,” Pythagoras cooks gluten-free turkey legs and serves them with vegan macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. Additionally, the restaurant offers holiday stuffing made with GF bread and meatless sausages, providing an alternative option for veggie lovers. Located in Sugar Land, Pythagoras will be open from 12pm to 7pm for dinner on Thanksgiving Day, so vegan and non-vegan foodies alike can join in the holiday spirit without any compromises.